No Bad Thing
by anxiousgeek
Summary: Jack spends Christmas with Sam on Atlantis


It wasn't quite the Christmas either of them had expected but that was no bad thing. Sitting in the mess hall of Atlantis, eating dinner with two plates of pie in between them. It was quiet, the military presence in the city had eaten hours before them, and what few scientists were left, were drifting in and out all through the evening.

Mostly though, it was just Sam and Jack.

He'd come through the gate a few hours before, after a day at the midway station, in full dress blues and a yo-yo tucked into the top pocket of his jacket. He had a black bag in one hand and a present, wrapped in red, in the other and Sam hugged him tight when she saw him.

"I'm so glad you came Sir." She said, poking at her potatoes with her fork.

"I couldn't let you spend Christmas with people you don't know." He smiled. "And who the hell was supposed to save me from the others if you're here?" She laughed, dipping her head down.

"I can't believe you won't let me open my presents."

"After dinner."

"Presents should be opened before breakfast." She said. "It must've been torture at your house."

"We let Charlie open his presents straight away. Kid wouldn't shut up until we did. One year he threatened to hold his breath."

"All kids do that."

"Not all kids can actually hold their breath long enough to pass out."

"Really?"

"Oh yes." She laughed, checking to make sure the memories weren't causing him too much pain but he was laughing too, his eyes alive and bright and it made her stomach flip.

Before she'd left for Atlantis they'd started a tenuous new relationship. A friendship that was very, very slowly, possibly, turning into something else. It was still Sir, and Carter and lunch after meetings, but there were dinners too, at his apartment and her house, and a movie that neither had enjoyed but both had eaten enough popcorn to make them feel a little sick later. Now he was here, spending Christmas with her, instead of with Daniel and the others.

He finished the last of his dinner and pushed the plate aide, pulling his pie towards him without pausing.

"I've been looking forward to this." He said.

"It's good."

"And you know this how?"

"I had some at lunch."

"Really?"

"Okay, _for_ lunch." He smirked. She pushed her plate aside, and pulled her pie forward.

"If I hadn't turned up, would you've just had pie for dinner too?"

"Probably."

"What did you have for breakfast?"

"Chocolate."

"Hey, me too." She laughed, again. She hadn't stopped smiling since he'd got there, and not that her Christmases with her team over the past ten years hadn't been fun, but it was nice to have Jack to herself. They hadn't gotten very far together, she was sure he was just as nervous as she was, worried about messing up, or that their friendship wasn't going _that_ way. He did make her stomach flip though, and they had come close to a kiss too many times over the past year for it not to be going any other way.

"You okay Carter?"

"Sir?"

"Not hungry?" He said, nodding at her half eaten dinner.

"Much more interested in the pie sir."

"Pie." He raised an eyebrow.

"It is Christmas."

"No, it's just you're starting to sound like me."

"We've known each other a long time." She said smiling.

"Too long?"

"No." She said quickly, then realising she might've sounded a little desperate, "No." She repeated. He smiled and finished his pie.

"Can I open my presents now?" She asked. He smirked.

She'd managed to fit a small two seater sofa into her quarters, and she and Jack were sat on it, pressed up together in the small space. They were surrounded by wrapping paper and presents, mostly books.

"Last one." He passed her the present he'd carried through the gate in his hand, wrapped in metallic red paper. "From me."

"Thank you." She pulled at the paper, ripping it and revealing a shiny silver portable dvd player beneath.

"Not that I think you'll have much time to use it but I know you don't sleep much."

"Thank you Sir."

"You're welcome."

She hadn't asked him why he'd wanted to leave his black holdall in her quarters. He lifted it up from beside her sofa and dropped it in his lap.

"I also broke into your house."

"You have a key!"

"Lost it, sorry," he smiled, "anyway, I broke into your house and packed up your dvds." She stared at him, eyes wide. "Well most of them anyway."

"Sir,"

"Jack." He cut in.

"Jack this is wonderful."

"It's nothing." He waved it off with his hand, "I just imagined there wasn't much in the way of entertainment here."

"A little. There's a lot of practical jokes."

"I can imagine that."

"Do you want to watch something?"

"Got any Christmas movies?" She leant over and looked through the bag on his lap.

"The Grinch?" She said, pulling out a dvd.

"Sure."

"You know, Cassie's gonna be pissed you took this."

"I brought her a copy of her own." He said, dropping his bag back on the floor and out of the way. She started up the player, lifting it up and holding it in the air for a moment, hesitating before dropping it back onto her lap. "You want to put it on my lap?"

"It's okay."

"Want to rearrange some furniture?" He asked, looking around for something to put it on.

"No, I'm fine."

"Worried I'll be able to look down your top while I'm leaning over to watch." She snorted.

"I've caught you doing that already." He didn't deny it, and didn't apologize for it.

"Just put it on my lap Sam." He picked the player up and put it on his legs. He turned it towards her, pressed play and turned the volume up.

After twenty minutes she decided to get more comfortable next to him, curling up on the sofa, tucking her legs under her body, and relaxing next to him. She leaned into his body and rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled at her and lifted his arm up, after a little shifting of their bodies she settled her head on his chest and he rested his hand on her back. He pushed the dvd player towards his knees a little more so he could see and tried not to sigh in contentment.

The credits rolled and Sam pulled out of Jack's hold, even though the feel of his hand gently running up and down her back was making her feel almost giddy. Which was ridiculous. She stretched out and, arms up in the air, arching her back, and when she relaxed her body again, she saw Jack watching her, a look of complete confusion on his face.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Come on Jack, tell me."

"I really, want, to kiss you." He said.

"Oh." She smiled. "Then just kiss me, you've been looking down my top all day, staring at my ass whenever you've had the chance. I know you want me." He smirked.

"Oh so confident."

"Yep." She grinned at him and he moved fast, kissing her hard on the lips and pushing her back against the arm of her little sofa. She shifted beneath him, keeping her lips connected to his, wrapping her arms around him. His tongue slid across hers and she groaned, slipping her hands under his shirt, thinking that maybe they were going too fast, because his own hands were gripping her hips. His kisses were wonderful, he tasted like pie and chocolate, and in the back of her mind she wondered when the hell he had had some chocolate. His lips were hard and warm, and she just wanted more, and she could smell him, _him_, and she had been so confident moments ago but now, with his body on hers and his skin under her hands (he was so damn warm to touch) she felt she wanted top stop because it was too much.

And she really need to breathe.

He pulled away before her, panting, staring her down almost, and she waited for him to say something but knew it wasn't coming, he couldn't breathe enough to speak and neither could she. When she could think clearly again, she realised they really weren't going fast enough and this, this was perfect. He was perfect and so god damn sneaky.

"Is this why you wanted to leave your bag in my quarters?"


End file.
